S B 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



C^^^S^y 



UNITED STATES OF AIJIEEICA. 



ill '-f^' 

II THE rf^"^ y 

PEACH TREE. 



HOW TO 



PLANT, GROW, PRUNE AND CULTIVATP: 

SUCCESSFULLY ON NEW 

ENGLAND SOIL. 



BY 



KUFUS R. FLETCHER. 



NASHUA, N. H. : 4 v 



A|/ C. B FELCH PRINTING HOUSE. ^^ 



THE 



PEACH TREE. 






HOW TO 



PLANT, GROW, PRUNE AND CULTIVATE 

SUCCESSFULLY ON NEW 

ENGLAND SOIL. 



BY 



RUPUS R. FLETCHER. 




NASHUA, N. H. : 

C. B FELCII PRINTING HOUSE 

188L 



Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1881, by RUFUS E. 
FLETCHER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



: ^, ^ ' ■■ 



CON TEN TS 



introduction Pa"-e 8 

The Peac'li Tree ^, 

^'The Yellows" 7 

Pruni ng 11 



Setting and Pruninfi; 1 



Thinning Out 2() 

Muk'hing 20 

The Horer 2<\ 

Wash 'tor Trees 24 

How to P^nchre the Borer 25 

Receipts 26 

Manures 2(i 

Analysis of the Peach Tree 30 



INTRODUCTION, 



Many of my friends, peach growers, have urged me to put in 
print my ideas iti growing the peach and treating its various 
troubles. I luive, in my luanble way tried to give my ideas and 
experience in these few pages, in such a manner, that every one 
may undei'stand them. 

Those who have treated tlieir trees in the manner laid down in 
this little book have succeeded beyond their expectations. 

I believe the time will come, and that before long, w-hen peaches 
will be grown as readily as apples and the market will be sup- 
plied with mure of the better class of ])eaclies. The producer 
will then receive a surer income and the consumer will be better 
satisticd. 

It seems strange at this late day. that science, horticultural and 
agricultural papers have been spread over the land to the extent 
they have, and that there could l)e Ibund men who have the lands 
and other facilities and still do not have the peach growingeither for 
market or for family use. But such is the fact, that hundreds have 
the most desirable lands foi- the peach and have wholly neglected 
to set the peach tree, and if it was not for their neighbors raisin(»- 
them, they would hardly know what a peach was. 

It is very strange such delicious fruit is within the reach of so 
many and they do not make an effort to grow at least enouo-h 
for their own use. 



Fifty years ago if a farmer here in the country should have a 
dozen peach trees bearing at once, they woiiklgo to waste for there 
was no sale for them. Any one would be welcome to help 
themselves to all they wanted. What a change now, peaches are 
canned and dried and used in various ways. The demand is in- 
creasing, and the supply of first-class peaches is very limited. 

If the instructions laid down here are followed by our peach 
growers, our markets will be better supplied with larger and 
better fruit. 

RUFUS R. FLETCHER. 

Ayer, Mass., 1881. 



THE PEACH TREE, 



The peach tree is a native of China and Persia. 
It was euhivated in England and France early as 
1550, and was l)ronght to this country by the early 
settlers. 

It is claimed by different writers that there is no 
country in which the peach is groAvn so abundant- 
ly as in the United States. 

China and the United States are the only coun- 
tries in which both peach and apple attain their 
highest state of perfection in the open orchard. 

Thei-e is no large fruit so delicious as the peach. 
What is there for fruit that will compare in beauty 
with a well developed "Crawford Early" or ''Craw- 
ford Late"? The rich golden ground and the beau- 
tiful red cheek make it very handsome and at- 
tractive. 



6 

The peach tree left to itself usually comes into 
bearing the third or fourth year. 

In our cold Xew England climate the peach re- 
quires more care to make it a success than it does 
in the more genial climes of the south. 

The tree should be kept in a good state of culti- 
vation. You may plant in the orchaixl a hoed crop 
but nev^er a sown crop. Grass, rye and oats are 
very injurious ; they take from the soil what the 
trees require to grow and develop its fruits. I have 
seen orchards nearly ruined by a single crop of rye. 
It stunts the trees, and makes them look sickly and 
in many cases has destroyed them. 

The peach can l)e grown upon almost all kinds 
of soil. I have seen very good crops on heavy clay 
soil, but the trees will not do as well as upon other 
soils. 

With fair treatment we l)elieve it can l)e grown 
and good crops realized in spite of winter frosts of 
fifteen or twenty degrees below zero, whenever we 
will give it the care and protection required to do it. 

In the twenty years experience I have had with 
the peach, I have endeavored as far as possible to 
study its hahits, and by experimenting with others, 
I am satisfied it can be grown as readily as the 
apple, and more so, for with the apple we get a crop 
every other year, where with the peach, we get three 
or four crops in succession. If properly cared for, 
the peach may produce crops every year and be 
kept in a perfect state of liealth and vigor. 

The mode of treatment laid down in this work. 



will prolong- the life and vigor of the tree to twen- 
ty or thirty years. The peach has heen known to 
live sixty to one hnndred years in France and pro- 
duce ci-ops yearly. It was treated every year to 
skilful pruning and good cultivation. In many 
instances it is trained to a wall or fence and cut 
back yearly. Old trees with the inside decayed are 
producing good crops of peaches every year. 

The cutting back process assists the roots and 
gives them the advantage of the top. Properly 
pruned, the growing parts of the tree are reduced 
nearly one-half every year. There must be an abun- 
dant flow of sap from the roots, and with a fair de- 
gree of cultivation will push the reduced top and 
give in all its parts a vigorous and healthy growth. 

^^THE YELLOWS/^ 

Thi-5 malady, it is claimed, belongs exclusively to 
this country and to attack only the ])each tree. It 
is said to spread over ajid destroy the orchards of 
whole towns and counties. The most skilful ex- 
amination of roots, body and branches has failed 
to discover any iiisect or other visable cause. 
The symtoms ai*e the sickly look of the leaves turn- 
ing yellow ; the growing out of slender wirey shoots 
a few^ inches long, with small leaves, and the shoots 
often starting from the dormant buds on the body 
and limbs ; some of the prominent limbs begin to 
to die and gradually the whole tree dies. 

Some people think the Yellows is always propa- 
gated by budding or grafting. By others it is 



8 

claimed the Yellows shows itself and is propagated 
when the tree is in blossom, that the wind and bees 
cany the poland from tree to tree and in this man- 
ner spreads throng'h whole orchards. 

There are a great many opinions regarding the 
canses of the Yellows, some claiming one thing, 
others another. It is seldom that two men are 
found thinking alike on this point. Most all 
writers admit the Yellows to be a constitutional 
disease. Some claim the most heaUhy and vigor- 
ous o'rowins: varieties are the most liable to take 
the Yellows. The only remedy with most Avriters 
on the Yellows is, as fast as the trees are affected 
to dig them up and burn them, and by this means, 
stop the malady. And they would advise you not 
to plant in their places for a number of years. 

In regard to this dread disease, we contend there 
is no stich thing as the Yellows as a constitutional 
disease, especially in this section of the country. 

If the peach tree is tlioroughly attacked by 
borers, it sickens and the leaves turn yellow, and 
is one kind of Yellows. Ifyoti shottld accidently 
jam and bruise the tree as to cause it to lose a cer- 
tain amount of gum, it becomes sickly and the 
leaves turn yellow ; this, also, may be called the 
Y(illows. 

If you should be inclined to stimtilate your trees 
too highly, causing them to groAV too fast and 
reach an overgrowth, they will, undotibtedly, go 
into Winter with green and unripe wood, full of sap 
and unfit to meet the cold of five or ten deo^rees 



9 

below zero, or even at zero. Consequently your 
trees freeze and burst open. I have seen many 
trees so affected that you could see through their 
trunks, the results that are sure to follow, give us 
one more kind of Yellows. 

Sowing and growing a crop of rye in your 
peach orchard is one of the quickest and surest 
ways of bringing on the Yellows. 

Overloading the tree, causing it to struorrle 
to grow and mature fruit, stopping almost entirely 
its growth, growing peaches not more than one- 
third their natural size, of an unripe and sour qual- 
ity, will sicken the tree, and not being able to 
recuperate, it dies. This is a wicked kind of Yel- 
lows. 

l^eglect of proper cultivation, causing the tree 
to struggle for existence is another cause for ''the 
Yellows." I am sorry to say a large number of 
the trees set out come to premature death by the 
neglect of giving them proper food on which to 
feed. The starving trees begin to show^ signs of 
death by the sickly look of the leaves turning yel- 
low. The parties owning them, ignorant of the 
true cause, become discouraged, and failed to do 
anything more for them. The borer takes pos- 
session, and the action of the frost soon destroys 
what little life there is left. 

One more cause foi- the Yellows, and the one 
I believe to be most common, and often destroys 
whole oi'chards at one sweep, is the frost. In some 
localities trees ai'e effected nearly every Winter, 



10 

even if the Winter is mild. In the Winter of 1878, 
peach orchards as a whole looked unnsnallj healthy. 
The season had been a favorable one for the grow- 
ing and ripening np of the wood and for the niatnr- 
ing of the best show of frnit-bnds of any season 
for many years. Peach growers were elated at the 
prospect of a large crop of peaches for another 
year. In the following Spring, as the trees began 
to start the alarm was given that the Yellows had 
strnck them. In some districts whole orchards 
were effected. Some of them tried to leave out, 
showing but little signs of life and then died, some 
lived till the Summer was nearly through, others 
lived through the season, but did not have life 
enough to start the next Spring. I examined 
many orchards in Middlesex and Worcester coun- 
ties, Mass., also a number of orchards in ^NTew 
Hampshire, and I became fully satisfied, the trouble 
was caused by the action of the frost on the roots 
of the affected trees. Some of the trees could be 
moved as you could move a post in the ground, 
shoAving in that way a loss of roots. In the Fall of 
1878 the ground was well tilled with water, and 
froze quite deep. When examining the roots of 
the trees we found the little feeders of the main 
roots mostly broken off, and there were not roots 
enough left to support the to]). I l:)elieve the de- 
stroying of the roots by the frost was the only 
cause of the trouble. 

I advised those that had their trees affected to 
cut back the tops enough to give the balance of 



11 

power to the remaining roots, and to manure and 
mulch them. Three or four only were persuaded to 
follow my advice. They believed the Yellows 
were upon them, and there was no use in spending 
time and work for nothing. 

John Coburn of Hollis, ]N^. H., had an orchard 
badly affected, and was one of the gentlemen that 
followed my advice in treating his trees. A few of 
his trees were so badly affected I reccom mended 
him to cut them down. He cut liack well the tops 
of the remaining ones, stimulated with manure and 
mulched well as I advised. The following Spring 
the trees started out a dark green color, made a 
splendid healthy growth, and matured a good show 
of fruit-buds. I found him in September very 
much pleased with the experiment. I then advised 
him to cut back about one-half the growth and to 
keep the ground mulched through the Winter. He 
did so, and astonished his neighoors with a splen- 
did crop of Avell developed peaches, which paid 
him more than four-fold for his trouble. 

There were two or three others in Massachusetts 
that treated their trees in the manner Mr. Coburn 
did, and met with the same good success. This 
showed conclusively, that it was the action of the 
frost that caused the great loss of trees in the 
Spring of '79, in this section of ^ew England. 

PEUNIIS^G. 

The proper time to cut liack peach trees is about 
the middle of September. 



12 

The tree should be grown to make a healthy 
growth from fifteen to twenty-five mches. It should 
be borne m mind that after cutting l)aek, the top 
of the tree will grow faster than the other parts. 
The top or middle of the tree will requii-e more 
cutting back than the outside. Judgement should 
be used in pruning, to give the tree the shape of an 
inverted umbrella, which is the proper and most 
desh-able shape. To obtain this shape, the outside 
limbs often times require but very little cutting, 
compared with the middle or top shoots. 

The object of cutting back in September is, in 
this cold climate, to ripen up the wood and to 
develop strong healthy fruit-buds before cold weath- 
er sets in. The tree will then be in proper con- 
dition to go into rest. 

The tree with this treatment will go through a 
greater degree of cold without injury, and will ma- 
ture fruit-buds double the size of those of neglected 
trees. 

Experimenting has proved the fact that a tree 
that is not cut back, will not stand the cold, as a 
general rule, of more than ten degrees below zero, 
and where a tree is cut back at the proper time will 
mature such healthy buds, and ripened its wood, 
as to stand from fifteen to twenty degrees below 
zero and mature a good crop of peaches. 

The peach tree if not cut liack, often continues 
ofrowino: till late in the Fall. I have known them 
to grow till the first of Xovember, Avhen heavy 
frosts came and they went into Winter in a green 



vs 

state and full of unripe wood. The trees were then 
sure to suffer from the frost and were in no con- 
dition to produce a crop of j^eaches for the next 
year. Cutting hack at this time stops the flow of 
sap from the roots, causing the tree to rest, and 
gives the tree only propei* time to devolop healthy, 
plump fruit-huds hefore frost sets in. In this cli- 
mate I cainiot fix upon any other time to prune 
than the middle of Septemher. If cut hack earlier, 
there is danger, should there he a warm Fall, of 
the trees maldng a second growth, which if they 
did, would ])lace the trees in as had condition as 
they would have been had they not been cut back 
at all. 

Sometimes trees stop growing by the middle of 
September. Where they have done so, I have 
•tried experiments of cutting back at different 
times. 

I have cut back in November, December, Jan- 
uary and Februaiy with no better results than from 
those not cut back at all. I believe the tree re- 
quires time to ripen its wood throughly and at the 
same time develop to perfection its fruit-buds be- 
fore going into Winter. If the trees are given a 
healthy growth yearly, and are cut back properly, 
are sure to have fruit more often and of a better 
quality than can be had by neglecting this cutting 
back treatment. By cutting back, the fruit will 
develop to much larger size, the quality will be very 
much improved and will surely command a better 
price in the market. 



14 

Another benefit derived from cutting- back is 
the prolonging of the life of the tree more than 
double. There is no good reason why it shonld 
not live to the age of twenty-five or thirty-five 
years in onr climate, and be as ready to produce 
crops at that age as at five or six years. 

We do not expect the length of life in this cold 
climate that it has in France. In that conntrj- the 
life of the peach tree, by skilfnl pruning, has been 
prolonged in some instances to one huudred yeai-s. 

It is an established fact that those who have 
pruned, mnlched and cnltivated have sncceded in 
obtaining very large retnrns for their labor and 
tronble. 

Is it not worth the wdiile for ever}^ one in grow- 
ing the peach tree to spend a little more time, and 
raise a'ood frnit that w^ill always command the bes^ 
prices, prolonging life in the tree, and obtain more 
frnit every year than can be had by the nsnal way 
of treating it. 

This treatment of pruning back yearly, does 
away to a great extent, of thinning out the peaches. 
By cutting back, the number of peaches is alread}^ 
reduced to nearly one-half the whole number. A 
very httle thinning out of the i-emainder will give 
large well developed peaches of uniform size, and 
if looked after through the growing and ripening- 
season, removing those not inclined to mature, 
when you come to pick, you Avill find instead of 
one-half or three-fourths of your peaches, small and 
of inferior quality, not one in twenty of that class. 



Yon have by this process pi-oduced a good crop 
and at the same time have assisted the tree by good 
cultivation to grow a good healthy growth of wood 
with a plenty of fruit-buds for another year's 
crop. 

By this treatment you have produced more crops, 
and realized more money for each crop than you 
could by the usual way of treating them, at the 
same time keeping the trees in a healthy condition 
and prolonging the life of your trees. 

I have dwelt at considerable length oil the cut- 
ting back of the trees, for I believe it to be one of 
the most essential parts in the treatment of the 
peach. 

SETTING AND PKUNING. 

Peach trees shoukl always be set in the Spring, 
and as early as the ground will permit. Set no 
deeper than they grow in the nursery. 

It should be rememl)ered, in setting peach trees, 
the best results are from those that have all the 
limbs cut off to one-eighth of an inch from the 
body, und the to]) cut back to two and one-half 
feet from the ground. Start the tree from three 
buds as near six inches of the top as possible, rub- 
bing off all other buds that may start. This will 
leave the body smooth two feet from the ground 
and give you a low tree to start Avith, Avhich is 
desirable, making it much better to prune and thin 
out, and easier to pick its fruit. 

It will also prevent strong winds, to a great 
extent, from injuring the tree. 



16 

Start your tree from three buds as mentioued 
al)ove, at setting in tlie Spring, and about the mid- 
dle of September cut back the three shoots or 
Umbs to one-half their length. The next Spring, 
from these three shoots, rub off all but three buds 
to a shoot. This will give you nine buds from 
which to grow shoots the second year. From 
these nine shoots you can readil}^ grow and prune 
your tree to the desired shape. 

I think trees set fourteen or fifteen feet apait 
would be* better than a longer distance. In this 
climate we must prune stronger than in a milder one, 
and bv so doin^' we can ha\^e the trees at their 
proper size, ten or twelve feet through the top and 
eight feet high. This is as large as you can con- 
veniently prune all parts of the tree, oi* thin out. 
and pick the fruit with the help of a ste]>ladder. 
Don't fear to cut off the fruit-liuds in pruning. 
It can safely be said where there is one tree that is 
pruned too much, there are live hundred not [)runed 
enough. 

Pinching off the ends of the stronger groAving 
shoots while they are growing, will cause tlie sap 
to flow more free to the slower growing shoots and 
give them a stronger growth. This is very desir- 
able to give the tree an uniform growth. When 
pruning, be sure to prune the inside shoots as well 
as those on the outside. If not pruned yearly the 
inside shoots would in a short time die, making the 
the fruit grow more to the outside of the tree. Often 
a shoot may be found growing as to outstrip all 



17 

others and to the injury of the other shoots on the 
limh. This should he pinched in as soon as noticed, 
which will cause the sap to flow more equal to all 
parts of the tree. 

When trees have grown to fill the space allotted 
to them they may be kept there l^y rubbing off the 
wood-lnids. This may be done at the time of 
pruning, or in the Spring after the wood-buds be- 
gin to grow. This may be done with more dis- 
patch after the buds have started, being very care- 
ful not to interfere with the fruit-buds. Rub off 
all the wood-buds excepting one at the base of the 
shoot, thus making the wood-bud grow as near the 
hmb as possible. This will leave the fruit-buds be- 
yond the wood-buds. In this way you can keep 
the trees within the space given them as readily as 
you can a grape vine. 

A tree pruned in this way becomes more stalky 
and strong, and when loaded with fruit or ice will 
be more able to sustain its load, avoiding" the 
breaking down of limbs which is too common in the 
fruiting season and in Winter. A tree under this 
treatment will live much longer and produce better 
fruit than the iv^^ without this treatment. 

It should Ije remembered the fruit is grown upon 
the growth of the year before, and every portion of 
the tree destitute of such growth must be worthless. 

Where the tree is not pruned properly all the 
friiit-buds on it will bear if the season is favorable. 
Two or three wood-buds at the top Avould make a 
very small and feeble growth in consequence of the 



18 . . 

tree not being able to carry out its fruit and grow 
its shoots at the same time. At the end of the season 
there would be a long space destitute of shoots or 
buds, and in this manner the central and lower 
parts of the tree loses its healthy shoots. By head- 
ing in or cutting back all parts of the tree as before 
mentioned, you will succeed in giying the tree a 
healthy growth in its different parts. The sap of 
the peach tree runs to the extremities of the shoots 
moi e than in any other fruit tree, and being left 
to itself will grow long and straggly branches. 




Xo. 1. 

Another point to be kept in yiew when pruning, 
is to giye each portion of the tree an equal number 
of fruit-buds as far as it is possible. By so doing, 
you will give the tree, in fruiting an equal balance 
of fruit throughout all its parts, your fruit will be 
nearly uniform in size, and the sap llowiug freely 
to all parts of the tree, grows its w^ood-buds and 
fruit-buds evenly in all its parts, thus giving the 
tree uniform growth. 

Every observing peach-grower knows that a tree, 
by the time it is four years old, if not pruned, will 



19 

begin to lose its inside shoots, and when the tree is 
older, has lost so many shoots that the limbs become 
quite naked, as shown by cut No. 1. The tree has 
not half the healthy shoots it should have from which 
to grow its fruit-buds. The sap flows feebly through 
the naked limbs and there are not half leaves enouo^h 
to provide for a proper growth of fruit. This is 
sure to be the case with all peach trees that are not 
cut back. 




No. 2. 

Cut No. 2, represents a tree that has been treat- 
ed by the cutting back or shortening in system of 
pruning. The tree has been pruned to the desired 
shape, its shoots are evenly distributed, and presents 
a very healthy and promising appearance. 

This system of pruning, whei-e it has been prop- 
erl}^ applied yearly, has prolonged the life of the 
tree more than two-fold and caused the tree to 
produce more and better fruit. 

The tree will be very attractive when ofrowinof 
and its beautiful shape will cause all to look upon 
it with admiration. The tree will be loaded with 
rich dark leaves, and have a healthy and vigorous 



20 

look and perfect shape. If care is taken to set 
trees in straight rows they will look more grand 
and noble. 

THI^^ISriXG OUT. 

The first thinning out should be done when the 
peaches are about the size of a shagbark walnut. 
In thinning be sure to leave the fruit evenly dis- 
tributed through the tree. Thin out to two peaches 
to a shoot, which can be done very rapidly in a 
properly pruned tree. The fruit will require a 
little more thinning out as the peaches begin to 
mature by removing all the knurly ones, 
MULCHING. 

For the first Winter after setting, two or three 
shovelfuls of earth pUiced against the body of the 
tree will afford sufficient protection. 

The next season's mulching should be done late 
enough in the Fall to have the ground frozen to a 
depth of two or three inches, but not exceeding- 
four inches, and before snow comes if possible. 

Mulch well, covering the ground from the body 
of the tree as far away as the roots would be 
likely to reach. 

The object of waiting till the ground is frozen 
is to make sure of having the ground and mulch- 
ing frozen in the Spring. This prevents, in a warm 
time, the sap starting from the roots. If the sap 
should start from the roots before a proper time in 
the Spring the buds will also surely start, then 
coming a reaction of the frost, or in other words. 



21 

a slight freeze of the buds, the germs will be de- 
stroyed and they cannot produce fruit. The trees 
may, and often do blossom and to the inexperienced 
would show no visable sign they were not healthy 
blossoms. 

I will mention one case of this kind : 
In the Spring of 1880, Mr. T. J. Sanderson of 
Sudbury, Mass., had an orchard which he had skil- 
fully pruned and mulched. He tried the experi- 
ment of nuilching his trees, leaving a row" without 
being mulched. The trees he did not mulch l)los- 
somed in the Spring, but produced no fruit. The 
trees which he mulched, blossomed and produced a 
well developed crop. The experiment showed that 
the sap ran up from the roots and started the fruit- 
buds too early, for afterwai'ds the frost or a little 
freeze came and affected the fruit-germs so as to 
destroy them. 

In the Summer of ' 79 I visited several orchards 
in Ashby, Mass., where I found the trees badly af- 
fected by the action of the frost on the roots, and 
was pronounced by everybody who looked at them 
to be the Yellows. Coming to a Mr. Piper's 
place in the immediate vicinity, I found his peach- 
orchard in a good state of health. The leaves of the 
trees had the healthy dark green color, and seemed 
to be flourishing finely. I asked Mr. P. what 
made his orchard look so much better than his 
neighbor's, he answ^ered, ''The Yellows had not 
struck it." I found by going into the orchard the 
ground covered all through the orchard with mead- 



^> 



ow-hay, which he said he put on last year to kill 
the mtchgrass. Mr. P. had hy accident killed the 
Yellows l)y his mulching and had the hest crop of 
peaches in that vicinity. 

Another case that I will mention is that of Mr. 
Marshall Miles of Concord, ^lass., who has an or- 
chard with which he took the first premium at the 
Middlesex County Fair, at Concord in the Fall of 
1880. Mr. Miles had pruned and mulched most of 
his trees nearly after the plan laid down in this 
hook. A few trees in his orchard were neither 
pruned or mulched and they were affected hy the 
Winter. The trees looked sickly and the leaves 
turned yellow as thousands of others have done 
when left to themselves, and they wei-e pronounced 
by experts to be affected by the Yellows. He was 
advised to dig up and burn them, root and branch, 
as the only known remedy for the Yellows. I saw 
the trees a short time after and advised a different 
course of treatment, which Avas to cut l)ack the 
tops to meet the loss of roots, to stimulate with 
some good fertilizer, and to mulch them at the 
proper time in the fall. In cutting back, I advised 
to be sure and give the roots the advantage of the 
top, that is, the remainhig roots should yield suffi- 
cient sap to support the reduced top. M}' advise 
was heeded, and every one of the trees started and 
made a splendid growth. At this time you would 
not mistrust they had ever had the Yellows. In 
stimulating the trees to groAV, it brought them l)ack 
quickly to their natural health and vigor. 



23 

Those who may wish to treat then* peach trees 
with this system of training w hieh has proved so 
SLiccyssfiil, I wi^h to impress npon their minds 
the necessity of cntting l^ack their trees nearly as 
possible at the time laid down in a ])revions chap- 
ter, namely, tlie middle of September. The time 
from the middle of Septembei* to Winter is reqnired 
to ripen the wood and develop the perfect frnit- 
buds, which is very essential to prepare the tree to 
go throngh Winter and prodnce frnit with any de- 
gree of certainty. 

THE BOREE, 

The peach l^orer or peach worm is a great nni- 
sance and tries the patience of peach-growei*s. It 
girdles and devonrs the whole circle of l)ark jnst 
below the snrface of the ground, mining the tree 
by its ravages. 

DoAvning's description of the insect in its devel- 
oped state is a slender, dark-blue, fonr-winged 
moth, something like a wasp. It commences to 
deposit its eggs in the soft and tender bark of tlie 
tree wdiich lies at the base of the trunk, usually 
about the last of June, ])ut often at different times 
from June to October. The eggs hatch and be- 
come small white borers or grubs, which eventually 
grow to be three-fourths of an inch in length: 

This troublesome little creature is very peisistent 
in its elforts in ])enetrating the tree, devouring the 
bark and sap, and if allowed to continue its work, 
will surely take all health and life from the tree. 



24 

After passing the Winter in the tree, the borer en- 
folds itself in a cocoon under or npon the bark and 
emerges in its perfect or winged form in June and 
begins the deposit of eggs for another generation. 

It is not a difficult matter to keep the horers 
from the trees if a httle pains be taken in season. 

Experience has proved that wood-ashes or air- 
slacked lime, from two to four quarts, according to 
the size of the tree, heaped against the body, will 
protect the tree from borers. It should be applied 
in the month of May and remain till Octobei-, when 
it may be spread over the ground to act as a fertil- 
izer. I have seen many orchards treated in this 
manner with perfect success. An old adage says: 
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," 
and if we prevent the boi-er from entering the tree 
we shall avoid the trouble of cutting and injuring it 
to remove the destructive little pest. 

AVASH FOR TREES. 

Take Stone lime, slack and prepare as oi'dinary 
whitewash ; make about two-thirds of a pail full of 
this, now add one pint of gas tar, one pound of 
whale oil soap dissolved in hot water, or take 
one pint of common soft soap, or one pound of 
potash, or one pint of strong lye from wood ashes, 
then add clay or loam enough to make it the 
proper thickness, to be applied with a common 
white-wash brush. 

If the trees have the earth ridged around the 
body take the earth away and apply the wash 



25 

to the body from the limbs to the ground. The 
advantages of tliis is that it will destroy the 
bark-louse and will give the tree a bright, clean 
and healthy appeai-anee, and will also remove and 
prevent rust. 

It will prevent the attack of the borer in ap- 
ple and peach trees; it has been known where 
the trees have been badly affected by the borer 
to entirely drive them away by one application, 
and the tree has become healthy and vigorous. 
Again, mice and rabbits will not girdle trees where 
the wash is used. 

Apply in May for general benefit and late in 
Autumn as a preventative for mice or rabbits. 

Gas tar applied alone will kill the trees. 

HOW TO EUCHRE THE BORERS. 

FROM K. Y. FRUIT RECORDER. 

Ten yeai's oi* more ago I tried the use of 
paper bands and gas tar, in various forms, on 
my peach trees, and, when carefully applied, it 
w^as effective in excluding the borers, but for the 
past seven or eight years I have practised a more 
excellent way, and I know other fruit growers 
who have done the same, and would not think of 
going back to the old methods. It is simplj^ using 
carbolic acid, which is the essence or spirit of gas 
tar, and is easily made to combine with water by 
adding soap, Avhile the tar itself will not combine, 
and is far less safe and cleanly in its application. 
My rule for pi-eventing borers is to get a pint 



2H 

of ci-ude carbolic acid — costing twenty-five cents, 
and is sufficient for twenty gallons of tlie wash. 
Take a tight barrel and put in four or five 
gallons of soft soap, with as much hot water 
to thin it; then stir in the pint of carbolic acid, 
and let stand over night to combine. Now add 
twelve gallons of rain water and stir well ; then 
apply to the base of the tree with a short broom 
or old paint brush, taking pains to wet inside of 
all crevices. This will prevent both peach and 
apple borers. It should be applied the lattei- pait 
of June in this climate, when the moth and beetles 
usually appear. The odor is so pungent and last- 
ing that no eggs will be deposited where it has 
been applied, and the efiect will continue till after 
the insects have done flying. If the ci-ude acid 
cannot be obtained, one-third of the pure will 
answer, but it is more expensive. 

KECEIPTS. 

For curled leaf and mildew Avhich is so destruc- 
tive to the small limbs of the peach, use strong soap 
suds, or whale oil soap. 

Tobacco soap will destroy bark insects, mildew, etc. 

One-half peck of lime and one quart of soft soaj) 
mixed with water, makuig a Avash, and applied 
with a brush to the body and limbs of the tree is 
one of the best washes. The color may be changed 
if objectionable by adding the desired coloring. 

MAXUEES. 

In undertaking to grow the peach properly and 



to the best advantage it is essential we first know, 
what kind of food nature requires for it. 

By obtaining- an analysis of the peach tree we 
find it contains. 

Potash - - - - 12 parts. 
Lime - - - - 23 '' 

Phosphate of Lime - - 21 '' 
Tlierefore, Ume is what nature requires for 
the tree to feed upon more abundantly than any 
other ingredient and it is one of the ehea])est fer- 
tilizers that can readily l)e had. 

Lime then, is what is needed to grow a healthy 
and vigorous ])eaeh tree, one eapal)le of standing 
to a certain degree, the cold of our climate, and 
one that will resist the many troubles, and trials to 
which it is subjected. If w^e give to the tree what 
it w^ants to grow and make it what nature designed 
it to be, it will resist its enemies with more ease and 
grace than it could growing in the natural way 
which most of the trees are growing in this section 
of the country. 

We have grown trees, using stable manure for 
fertilizer but it gave the trees properties which in a 
natural healthy state they did not require, and it 
changed the trees to sickly, feeble things. 

As lime is what the tree needs more than any 
other ingredient, and as it is cheaper than stable 
manure and can be applied more readily, there 
should be no excuse for growers to neglect giving 
the trees all the lime they require. The little 
feeders will reach out from the main roots, and 



28 

drawing in tlie lime will impart it to the l)ody of 
the tree in such qnantities that the little white 
specks of lime may readily be seen in the bark of 
the trunk and limbs. 

Lime, phosphate of lime, and potash constitute 
the chief food for the peach tree. These are 
needed by the tree in growing- and l)ringing 
its fruit to perfection. AVhen the soil becomes 
exhausted of these properties it wdll be plainly 
noticed in the quality of the fruit. 

When we feed the trees properly, they not only 
produce better fruit, and show a rugged look, but 
they will live much longer, bearing fruit year 
after year. 

Ten barrels of air-slacked lime to an acre, year- 
ly, would be little enough, spread over the 
ground and cultivated or plowed in. 

Wood-ashes for the potash would be best, and 
can be applied at any time from Api'il to July with 
good effect. It acts quickly, and can be readily 
obtained by most farmers. 

Stable or hen manure, or phosphate composted 
and applied in moderate quantities two or three 
times while the tree is growing fruit will assist 
very materially in the right direction. 

It is an established fact that all kinds of fruit can 
be grown larger and better by putting the manure 
on the soil two or three times in moderate quanti- 
ties while the fruit is gi-owing, rather than applying 
it all at once in great quantities. 

The trees should be fed as often as it needs feed- 



29 

ing to give them a good growth at the time of 
growing and matm-ing its fruit. If this is not done 
the trees will bear small peaches that command but 
a small price in the market. If the trees are not 
given fertilizer they become feeble and are placed 
in no condition to grow healthy fruit-buds for the 
next season's crop. The life of the trees will be 
shortened by weakness and premature age soon 
puts the trees beyond reach of help. They are 
taxed beyond their strength in growing fruit and 
wood, and become so sickly the owner believes 
his trees have the Yellows, when the real trouble is 
in the fixct the tree is starving. There is a law to 
punish a man if he stai-ves his cattle, but none if 
he starves his ti*ees, but it is about as much to his 
discredit and shame if he has knowledge of the 
fact and does not try to remedy the fault. 

It costs no moi-e to carry peaches to market 
worth three dollars a bushel, than those worth only 
a dollar a bushel, and our market has too many 
of the cheap class of peaches. There is an increas- 
ing demand for the better class of well grown fruit, 
and those raising the best peaches are making the 
most money. 

Trees will require less manure when treated by 
the cutting back process, as they do not require as 
much sap to give a vigorous growth. 

(jrreat benefits are received by pruning properly, 
ill directed pruning will cause harm. It is just as 
easy to prune right as to prune wrong. There is 
but little danger of pruning too much, as it has 



30 

added to the life of the tree, and the domg away 
with so many kinds of Yellows, I am sure will be 
inducement enough to encourage you to prune 
and mulch your peach trees. 

ANALYSIS OF THE PEACH TEEE. 

The following analysis made by B. Kirtland, 
Esq. of Poland, Ohio, will be found extremely use- 
ful to every planter. 

Equal quantities of limbs and twigs from three 
different kinds of peach trees were taken and after 
being thoroughly dried — whereby they lost 44 per 
cent of water — were carefully bnrned with a mod- 
erate fire, yielded as follows : 

Charcoal and Sand, - - - 3.18 

Silica, - - - - - 1.48 

Phosphate of Iron, - - - 2.17 

Potash, - - - - - 12.54 

Soda, ----- 2.00 

Sulphate of Lime, - - - 2.25 

Lime, - - - - - 23.95 

Phosphate of Lime, - - 21.69 

Magnesia, - - - - 7.05 

Peroxide of Manganese, - .80 

Chloride of Sodium, - - .69 

Carbonic Acid, - - - - 33.35 

After gi\ing the analysis Prof . Kirtland adds : 

''Lime and bone-dnst, we judge, will be found 

especially beneficial in perfecting truly healthy 

trees, capable of enduring the great changes of our 

'New England climate.'' 



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